


Don't stay (Please do)

by stephmcx



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s02e10 Ki'ilua (Deceiver), Feelings Realization, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24427330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stephmcx/pseuds/stephmcx
Summary: He had been really tempted to just crawl into bed the moment he had entered his bedroom, and maybe he would have, blood and grime and all, if it hadn’t been for Danny. Danny, who had found him against all odds. Danny, who had gone on a black op to fucking North Korea and had risked everything to save him. Danny, who hadn’t left his side since.Coda to episode 2x10
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 24
Kudos: 158





	Don't stay (Please do)

**Author's Note:**

> I found this among my WIPs today; I wrote it well over a year ago, I think, as part of a series, but I believe it works on its own.

Steve had turned the water as hot as was bearable and stood under the spray of the shower with his eyes closed, willing his sore muscles to relax and waiting for the pain killers to kick in. He was hurting all over, he was exhausted and all he really wanted was crash onto his bed and sleep for the next day or ten.

He had been really tempted to just crawl into bed the moment he had entered his bedroom, and maybe he would have, blood and grime and all, if it hadn’t been for Danny. Danny, who had found him against all odds. Danny, who had gone on a black op to fucking North Korea and had risked everything to save him. Danny, who hadn’t left his side since. 

It wasn’t that he wasn’t grateful. He was, more than that probably. Danny had saved his life. But it was too much. Just… too much.

So Steve had ignored the luring call of his bed and instead wriggled out of Danny’s supporting grasp and shuffled to the bathroom. Closed the door firmly behind himself, found some pain killers, turned on the water, stripped carefully out of his dirty, bloodstained clothes and stepped into the shower. He didn’t want to think, he wanted to get rid of the pain and forget. At least ignore everything for a while. Danny hovering and worrying. Wo Fat and the cattle prod. Shelburne, the rope around his neck, Jenna Kaye—god, _Jenna!_

His mind replayed the two shots being fired and he jolted at the memory, as startled and horrified as when it had happened. It caused him to lose his footing on the wet and slippery shower floor and he tried to brace himself but his arms wouldn’t cooperate, his abused shoulders screaming in agony. Cursing, he tumbled and hit the floor with a loud thud. It took a moment for the pain to subside, to gather his bearings. He had been lucky he had landed on his ass. Just as the fog in his head had cleared and he considered how to get up again, the bathroom door flung open and Danny barged in.

“Steve! You alright?”

“‘m good.” 

Danny leaned into the shower stall and turned off the water. Obviously not quite convinced by Steve’s mumbled reply, he crouched down next to him. Steve didn’t meet Danny’s eyes, instead embarrassment crept up, fueling an indistinct anger that had been lurking in the back of his mind.

“What are you still doing here?” he snapped.

“What am I doing here? What do you think I’m doing here? Make sure you don’t drown yourself in the shower is what I’m doing here!”

Danny snaked an arm around Steve’s waist and Steve couldn’t do much but let himself be pulled up.

“I don’t need a babysitter! I’m just sore, not lethally wounded. I can manage!”

“Sure, I’ve seen that.” 

“I just slipped—“ Steve was standing now, Danny’s hand had moved to his arm, making sure he was steady. Angrily, he tried to shake it off, but instead he set off a new firework of pain, starting in his shoulders, spreading to his ribs and cascading down his arms and into his fingertips. It made him gasp, leaving the sentence unfinished. 

Danny seemed to have gotten the message though, he released Steve’s arm and with a “Suit yourself!” muttered under his breath, he shoved a towel at Steve and left the bathroom, leaving the door ajar.

Gritting his teeth and very carefully, Steve dried himself off. He wrapped the towel around his waist before following Danny to his bedroom, mentally preparing for Danny’s inevitable ranting. A tiny part of him, the one that he kept hidden and that he seldom acknowledged was glad and thankful, maybe even happy for Danny’s presence and care. The larger part of him was angry, mostly embarrassed, hurt pride and all. He was a Navy SEAL! If anything, he could take care of himself, what was Danny thinking?

Walking slowly and ignoring Danny sitting on his bed, he got himself a pair of clean shorts and a t-shirt out from a dresser and sat down heavily next to Danny. He fumbled with his shorts. It took a while until he got them on and it left him short of breath. He should just lie down, curl up and fall asleep. That was all he really wanted to do right now. But he was aware of Danny staring at him, silently, and a silent Danny didn’t bode well. 

Steve grabbed his t-shirt instead, but he hesitated, dreading the pain of lifting his arms to pull the shirt on over his head. That was the moment when Danny couldn’t hold it in any longer and exploded, right into Steve’s space since they were sitting side by side. He was on the verge of yelling, hands gesturing, pointing back and forth between them.

“You can’t do it, can you? I’m sitting right here. I’m sitting right next to you if you hadn’t noticed—”

“Can’t do what?”

“Ask for help. I’m sitting right here. I would help you, gladly, you giant ingrate—” Danny jumped up, the need to move while talking obvious. 

“I can manage,” Steve pressed out again, but Danny ignored him.

“Why, I ask, why do you think did we come find you? To have a fun vacation in North Korea? Enjoy the sights and a free helicopter ride? We’re your _friends_ , Steven. I’m your friend. I was worried, hell, I’m still worried. Why don’t you let me help you?”

Without waiting for an answer, Danny disappeared into the bathroom for a moment, then re-emerged with the first aid kit and sat back down next to Steve. He didn’t resist when Danny took the t-shirt out of his hands and flung it on the bed. He didn’t argue back that he was okay, that he’s had worse. Maybe he was just plain exhausted, too tired. But maybe… maybe Danny had a point. Danny was his friend, a friend he always and above all else trusted to have his back. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt if he accepted a little help.

So Steve didn’t object when Danny reached for his hand and raised it to look at the wound on his wrist. He didn’t object to Danny’s gentle touch, softly applying antibiotic ointment and a fresh bandage. He let Danny take care of his other injuries in the same way, the wound on the other wrist, the electric burns on his chest, the cut on his cheek and a deep graze on his arm and one on his side. He felt tempted to close his eyes, to concentrate on the feeling of Danny’s fingertips brushing over his skin. Steve took a deep breath, or at least as deep as his bruised ribs would allow. Danny was way too close, this felt way too intimate. This felt… nice.

“There,” Danny said, with a light pat to his thigh, startling Steve out of his thoughts. “Did you die of shame yet?”

Steve kept silent, and he didn’t meet Danny’s eyes either. The answer was yes… and no. It had felt nice. Comforting. Danny took the abandoned t-shirt and helped Steve pull it up his arms and over his head, smoothing the fabric over his shoulders with a gentle brush of his hands. Steve felt a blush creeping up, could this become any more embarrassing? How could this feel comforting and make him so uncomfortable at the same time?

He risked a short look at Danny, who was now putting the medical supplies he’d used back into the small bag. Their eyes met briefly and Steve knew he should probably thank Danny for patching him up, but his mind didn’t come up with anything that felt right to say. Danny looked exhausted, too, as he leaned past Steve to put the reassembled first aid kit onto the bedside table.

“Gonna sleep now,” Steve announced, and he scooted backwards, away from Danny and onto the bed. His hurt ribs protested fiercely as he first pulled his feet up and then lay down and he winced at the wave of pain washing over him.

“Yeah.” Danny reached out with one hand as if he wanted to tuck Steve into bed like he would do with Grace. But then he thought better of whatever he was about to do and pulled his hand back. “I’ll crash on the couch.“

“You don’t need to stay,” Steve tried for a dismissive tone, but he knew he failed.

“Yes, I do.”

“Don’t.”

“Yell if you need anything.”

They both knew he wouldn’t. The SEAL part of him wanted to be offended at the mere idea, but still the thought that he _could_ call for Danny if he wanted to was strangely reassuring. Before sleep claimed him, he wondered why he could accept Danny’s help so easily. Everyone else he would have kicked out three times over. But maybe it was just that Danny didn’t take no for an answer.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! ♥
> 
> I'm also on tumblr: [stephmcx](http://stephmcx.tumblr.com).  
> Come say hi, if you like!


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